Art – Page 26 – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

Artwalk

Posted on July 17, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

I found out last Friday that I was accepted into a juried art show, Birmingham Artwalk, that will be held this fall. It seemed easy enough to apply — on the very last day — and assume one had to apply two or three times before getting in. Now, the reality of people — not just my supportive friends on the internet, but real people that I know in real life, and who know me in a business setting — seeing my art is sinking in. Since my husband tends to be of the "I don’t get it" variety, I am a little bit concerned about whether there are going to be people here who enjoy what I do, but I going to try and adopt an attitude startling ambivalence to the taste of the masses. But, if any of you plan on being even sort of close to Birmingham the weekend after Labor Day, please come and see me in the show!

This week, I’ve been working on some pieces using some a very cool lacey paper a dear friend (one of the few people I trust my children with) gave me, and also some of my finds from last saturday.

Verisimilitude

The View

Saturdays

Posted on July 15, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

Saturdays are special in my house, especially during the summer. Ellie and I get up early and go out to our neighborhood farmer’s market to get produce for the week. My art friend Connie got us these gorgeous dresses while she was in Mexico last year. We love wearing them.

We always visit our favorite potter, Amanda Ann Stone, while we’re there. This week, we found this fabulous little bird house for our cherry tree.

We try to find a couple of yardsales on our way home and today we hit it big with a great new desk chair for the fifteen year old boy whose desk chair met with an untimely accident. But, no cool art stuff.

That changed for the better when I ran into a new little store in one of the old Victorian houses in our neighborhood that had an enticing name involving vintage textiles. It more than made up for the yardsales and I ended up with this nice little pile of goodies.

Look at how cool those old printing blocks are! I have plans for some collage work tonight if small children cooperate.

Finally, the first of my Suffolk wool is dyed and I am so overjoyed with the colors I have to share it with you. This yarn is wonderful. Plus, these colors are almost enough to make me believe that cooler fall weather is just around the corner, despite that blinding southern heat and humidity. This yarn may end up being my first offering when Midday Faire reopens, if I can bear to part with it.

The Streets of Evangeline

Posted on July 8, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

I had a late night, all–by-myself-artpARTy last night, to work on some collage themes. I woke up *yawning* at 7:00 am after going to sleep at 4:30. When we got home from the farmer’s market and I went back to look at the results and do some varnishing and finishing, I was really pleased with these little pieces.

Katrina

Finding Her Way

Rising Above The Storm

Broken Mechanism

When All Was Said & Done

Taking Wing

Fairies!

Posted on July 7, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

I’m trying something new — little fairies on cotton fabrics that can be used as appliques on clothing, incorporated into quilts and purses, and anything else you can dream up. (altered books? collage? school book bags? toothfairy pillows?)

You can see them on etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7846. I hope people will love them and snap them up for their own projects.

In other exciting news in my house, the first borage plant of the summer is ready to bloom. I absolutely love borage, which does not grow particularly well in hot, humid, Alabama. Its translucent blue flowers never fail to enchant me. And my tuberoses seem to have shot up overnight. I am looking forward to having their beautiful, gardenia-like smell wafting across the entrance to our house in short order.

Art You Need To See

Posted on July 2, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

Like always, I am totally blown away by Maija Lepore’s art. If you haven’t seen it before, you really need to go and visit her blog today. I love the guy with the wonky little cap on his head and her vintage fairies are incredibly sweet.

Friday Night Art

Posted on June 23, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

One thing you probably don’t know about me (except for my mother in law) is that I make a really good rack of lamb. We’re not talking anything fancy-schmancy. Just a delicately seasoned, perfectly roasted rack of lamb. Unfortunately for family finances, this perfection also happens to be one of the meals that the kids will all eat. I don’t indulge too often, but decided that tonight was the night. So, all of my little kiddies had full happy tummies and I snuck in a little art time, finishing up the collages you saw in progress yesterday, while they played together.

Here are the results.

Bisecting Lines

Violet Dreamed of the World

Almost Faerie

Wonderful Summer Days

Posted on June 23, 2006 by Joyce Makes Art

It has been one of those perfectly lovely summer days here. At lunch, I had time for a quick trip to eat lunch with my daughter at the museum (summer art camp) and got to take a look at one of my favorite pieces in their collection, an installation of enormous glass flowers by Chihuly, which never ceases to make me feel really, really happy.

Tonight, while my darling husband watched bad horror movies, I sat down to spin and immediately found myself in the company of my two youngest children. They both spun with me for a while, before one dashed off to do pirouettes and the other stashed a spindle down the back of his shirt (are you sensing a theme here? the spindle became his most recent effort to find a weapon to sheath down his back ala Lord of the Rings). This roving is so gorgeous i have got to share it with you, even though this is a late night, bad lighting picture. I love copper patina as a colorway, and this roving captures it pefectly. The yarn is spinning up nicely and I’m excited about it. All of the roving has been picked over and prepped for spining, so I’m hoping to make lots of progress with it this week.

Because all my art friends are wondering if I have forsaken them for the demon knitting gods, I’m going to do something I don’t usually do and share three collage works in progress. I thought it might be fun to show them now — you can exhale a collective gasp at how awful they look in progress and it will be fun to see them when they are finished and no longer cause my inner art critic to want to stab something.